Minnesota Daily Alumni Association Update

Current Issue

October 2009

From the Board

Applications are rolling in for the Daily Alumni Recognition Scholarships for the fall semester. We will provide scholarships for an outstanding business and editorial employee by the end of October.

Upcoming Events

Join us for a pre-homecoming happy hour event from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 at Stub and Herb’s.

Staying Connected to the Daily

You don’t have to live in the Twin Cities to be a mentor to a Daily staffer. And those who live outside the Twin Cities can also provide invaluable advice for career and relocation choices. We’re building a network of alumni around the country.

Alumni Lunch Speakers

Each month, the Daily sponsors a training for Daily staffers featuring alumni. Have a topic or ideas to share? Let us know.

September 2009

From the Board

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Minnesota Daily Alumni Association Newsletter. We’ll be putting together a short update each month (at least during the regular school year) to keep you informed on what’s happening with Daily alumni and our activities to support staff at the Minnesota Daily.

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars for the homecoming football weekend, Oct. 9-10.

Be a Mentor to a Daily Staffer

Remember your first semester at the Minnesota Daily? By mentoring a student at the Minnesota Daily, you can pass along the knowledge you’ve gained as a professional while reconnecting with campus.

Connect with Alumni

As another academic year begins at the University, we’re interested in hearing from you about how  you’d like to connect with other Daily alumni this year.

Thanks to alumni and staff who attended the annual spring event on April 25 at Williams Arena. It was a great opportunity to connect, discuss issues in journalism today, and have a little fun together.

Special thanks to our sponsors Summit Brewing, Sorella Wine and Spirits, and St. Croix Vineyards for providing beer and wine for the event!

Stay tuned for future events and let us know what you’re up to. Email us at president@mndailyalumni.com.

Minnesota Daily Alumni Association Annual Banquet

When: April 25, 2009, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Williams Arena Club Room

Why: Reconnect with former colleagues and join us for a discussion of what other alums have done with their Daily experience outside traditional journalism, facilitated by David Brauer.

Cost: $30 in advance for alumni, $35 at the door. Ticket price includes an hors d’oeuvres buffet and all drinks (beer, wine, soda).

Bring your checkbook for our silent auction/raffle. The spring event is a key fundraiser for the MN Daily Recognition Scholarship, which provides a $1,000 scholarship each semester to one editorial and one business employee. Also, bring business cards to connect with other alumni. We’ll look forward to seeing you!

Map to event

To register, send an email to the alumni board at secretary@mndailyalumni.com. Checks may be made out to the Minnesota Daily, and sent to the Daily. Direct your checks to the Minnesota Daily, c/o President Robin Perez, 2221 University Ave. S.E., Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55414.

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If you want to receive updates about the Daily and alumni events directly, please send an e-mail message to president@mndailyalumni.com or fill out our online form at www.mndailyalumni.com/contact.

Each year at the spring banquet, the MN Daily Alumni Association gives awards to alumni for their outstanding contributions to journalism and to the students at the Daily.

Nominations are open for these awards:

1. Harrison Salisbury Hall of Distinction Award — honors the career achievements of a Daily alum.

2. Outstanding Achievement Award — honors the achievements of a Daily alum in a single year.

The alumni board also honors individuals who have contributed time and support for the Daily in the Friend of the Daily award.

To submit a nomination, send an email to president@mndailyalumni.com.

The Minnesota Daily Alumni Association needs you! The board of directors is currently looking for alums who are interested in serving on the board.

Our mission is to support students at The Minnesota Daily by providing scholarships and mentorship/networking opportunities. If you feel like you have an interest in helping us guide those activities, we encourage you to join.

Board members represent alumni who have served on both the business and editorial sides of the newspaper. Our primary event each year occurs in the spring and serves as a fundraiser for scholarships and association activities.

If you’re interested in applying for the board or if you have any questions, fill out this application and send it to Board President Michelle Fure.

Hello everyone!

Long desired, the Minnesota Daily Alumni Association now has a centralized system to help communicate all the great things by the Minnesota Daily and its alumni. Through this website, there are already a bunch of great features:

• A professional newsletter system that will allow quick, mass communication between the Daily and its alumni
• A blog that allows for any alumni to post information that others might find useful
• A Flickr-powered photo gallery to share all the great photos of the Daily and the MDAA
• A robust membership management system that’ll allow the MDAA to better organize its always-growing database of alumni and their information

And that’s just for starters! If you have more ideas of features that we should add, just let us know!